The Health Design Lab collaborated with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) to develop a new communication strategy to promote hand hygiene in their facilities. This collaboration focused on the development of new communication materials for public entrances and care areas to encourage hand hygiene compliance amongst patients, visitors and staff. This project sought to support the long-term provincial goal for hand hygiene compliance of 100% in all care settings for all health authority employees, physicians, contractors, students and volunteers (Ministry of Health Policy, Hand Hygiene, 2012).

During the fall semester, the project was embedded within a 3rd year communication design course. Students began the project by conducting their own human-centred design research and in-hospital observations at VCH to identify barriers and enablers for hand hygiene compliance among patients, visitors and staff. A large co-creation workshop was held with VCH staff and volunteers in order to foster an understanding of participants’ perspectives, needs and desires for future experiences.

The Spring semester involved the development of print ­ready files by Health Design Lab Research Assistants for implementation by VCH. A variety of communication materials with a consistent visual theme were created. This campaign can now be viewed in VCH facilities throughout Vancouver including at Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital.